Why is my 15-month-old male pug refusing food and touch, is it mating?

Poor Muffin! I'm not sure when you say she isn't eating well if she isn't eating a much as usual, or is having trouble eating. Both of those could be a sign of a medical illness, such as infection, systemic disease, or inflammation. It could also be a sign of teething. I would take her into the vet for an exam, it's not good that she isn't eating well. Eating enough is important for her health, and medical cause should be ruled out. I would make sure she is eating a puppy formulated food, and you can try to make the dry food more tempting by soaking it with gently warmed low sodium beef or chicken broth.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Gizmo. Pugs can have very big appetites making it difficult to assess feeding. I usually start by feeding slightly less than what is recommended on the bag of your particular food. These recommendations tend to be too high for most pets. Then I assess the dog. He should have a thin covering over his ribs. You should be able to easily feel the individual ribs. Then he needs to have a defined waist from both the top and side views. If he does not have these criteria then, you are likely overfeeding him. If he you can see his spine or hip bones, you may need to up the food a bit. I hope this information helps!

Hi, and thanks for your question. This is a quite generic but concerning presentation. Differentials are many, from gastrointestinal diseases (infection/inflammations often dietary related) to any disease that can spread systemically (causing lethargy for example) like infection, and anything that can cause pain/discomfort. The approach must be logic, starting from offering different kind of food. A check up is needed if inappetence lasts for more than 24hours. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Gum seems to have a decreased appetite and is more lethargic. While these are vague clinical signs, these may be due to some sort of underlying disease of either the gastrointestinal tract, liver or kidney disease, and/or a possible neoplastic or cancerous process. Since he has had a decreased appetite long enough to lose weight, I recommend having him evaluated by your veterinarian at their next available appointment. Your vet can perform bloodwork to look for any evidence of systemic illness that may be contributing to his clinical signs. His clinical signs are unlikely due to behavioral changes alone. I hope this is helpful - best of luck with Gum!

This could just be a normal maturing change for him. Some dogs (mine included) are really excited about food as puppies and as they age and become closer to adulthood they start to realize they don’t have to eat all the time. You may try to increase the size of his evening meal to ensure he is getting proper number of calories. If he continues to not eat well, you may want to have your vet just do an exam on him to ensure nothing else is going on. i hope this helps

If it is extremely hot in your area it may be that the heat is decreasing Pogo's appetite some, which can be normal. Feeding smaller meals a little later in the day may help encourage him to eat some, as well as making sure he has access to a cool shaded area with plenty of water. If the refusal to eat continues or you see other signs of illness such as vomiting, diarrhea or extreme lethargy, then bringing him to your vet for an exam is best.

If Teddy is still acting completely normal, eating his regular amount and maintaining his weight, I wouldn't worry too much. Some dogs will prefer to only eat once a day and do just fine. The 9 to 12 month range is when I normally recommend transitioning to an adult food, so you could start doing that and see if he wants to eat once or twice a day. If he starts losing weight, doesn't have the energy he used to have, or develops vomiting or diarrhea, I would be concerned there is something more serious going on and would have him examined by your veterinarian.